Glass feeder



J. W. ROSS GLASS FEEDER June 27, 1944.

Fld Nov. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patente'd June 27, 1944 GLASS FEEDERJames W. Ross, Washington, Pa., assigner to Hazel-Atlas Glass Company,Wheeling,

W. Wa.,

a corporation of West Virginia Application November 27, 1941, Serial No.4269.723

(Cl. iQ-55) 8 Claims.

The invention relates to means for periodically delivering glass chargesto forming machines, and one of the objects of the invention is toprovide a simple and inexpensive feeder which is arranged beneath theflow orifice of the flow spout. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a feeder which iscontrolled by the operation oi the shears which sever the glass charges,so that the timing between the operation ofthe shears and the operationof the means controlling the glass charges, will always be correct.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentto those skilled in the art, from thefollowing detailed description whenor refractory material, which is mounted in the heating chamber, by anydesired means. In the specific embodiment illustrated the bowl has atits upper end an annular shoulder I3 which rests upon an annular iiangel@ extendinginwardly from the thickened upper portion l of the chamberwall. Thus the bowl and chamber nest together when in use, but arereadily parated for purposes of inspection, repair, etc.

The bottom oi the heating chamber is provided with an opening it intowhich extends the lower end of the bowl, and the lower end of the bowl Ais provided with an orifice l1 through which the taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the feeder.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof; and

Figure 3 is a. horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,with parts broken away.'

Referring to the drawings in more detail, numeral l indicates the iiowspout which communicates with a continuous melting tank (not shown). Inthe outer end of they flow spout is the usual nose block 2 having a oworifice 3. Numeral I indicates a plug which has its lower end in or overthe flow orifice. This plug is stationary and controls the volume flowof glass through the orifice 3. laterally adjustable by any desiredmeans. adjusting means are well known in the art, and illustrationthereof is not necessary.

Numeral 5 refers to a heating chamber which is attached to the flowspout beneath the iiow orifice. Numeral 6 indicates burners for heatingthe chamber, and numeral 1 indicates apertures in the chamber wall forthe admission of air for combustion purposes. The upper end of theheating chamber is provided with two outwardly extending flanges 8. Oneof these flanges is provided with an aperture to receive a bolt ingdownwardly from the flow spout, and the other flange is provided with aslot lll to receive a bolil H also extending downwardly from the iiowspout. Of course any attaching means may be employed, but the meansillustrated allows the heating chamber and associated parts to bequickly swung clear of the ilow orifice, to permit access thereto, andalso to permit quick removal and replacement of the heating chamber andassociated parts.

Numeral I2 indicates a bowl formed of metal The plug is vertically andSuch 9 extend- Y glass iiows. An orice ring I8, of metal or refractorymaterial, is removably attached to the bottom of the heating chamber.The opening IQ in the orifice ring may be of any desired size.

Numeral 20 refers to a funnel-like member which is attached to the topof the bowl, as by screws 2l, in the embodiment illustrated. Thismember. which may be of metal or refractory material, has an air tightconnection with the bowl, by reason of packing 22. The bowl and funnelmember form a unit which is air tight when the orifice in the bottom ofthe bowl is filled with glass in the normal operation of the feeder. Theunit is simply nested in the heating chamber, and therefore is readilyremovable, and of course the unit consisting of the bowl and funnel maybe integrally formed, if preferred.

The flow of glass through the orice may be controlled and regulated bythe pressure, positive or negative, on the surface of the glass in thebowl. For the purpose of admitting and withdrawing air, the bowl isprovided with an opening 23, to which is i'lttecl a pipe or hose 25.

Numeral 25 refers to the blades of ordinary shears which sever the glasscharges; the charges then dropping into molds (not shown) to befabricated into glass articles. The blades are carried by pivotallymounted arms 26, which are connected by links 21 with a piston rod 28and piston 29 of a cylinder 30.

The piston rod is periodically reciprocated, to close and open theshears, by air pressure alternately admitted to opposite ends of thecylinder, through the pipes 3l and 32. Any ordinary timer may beemployed to control the admission of air pressure to the shear cylinder,to time the operation of the shears with the associated forming machine,and if desired by-passvalves 3|' and 32' may be provided in the airlines 3| and 32. By the use of these valves the rate of exhaust fromeither end of the cylinder can be independently regulated, and withoutaffecting the admission of pressure to either end of the cylinder, sothat the speed at which the piston travels in either direction can beindependently regulated.

Numeral 33 refers to a second cylinder which may be termed the feedercylinder, and which is attached to the rear end of the shear cylinder30. The piston rod 28 of the shear cylinder extends into the feedercylinder and carries a piston 34. Thus the pistons of the shear cylinderand feeder cylinder always operate together.

The previously mentioned pipe or hose 24, which has one end connectedwith the feeder bowl I2, has its opposite end connected with the rearend of the feeder cylinder 33. Hence when the shear piston 23 movestothe right (Fig. 2) to close the shears and sever a gob of glass, thefeeder piston- 34 will similarly move to the right and thereby withdrawair from the feeder bowl, through line 24, to create a partial vacuum inthe And when the shear piston and feeder piston move to the left, airwill be delivered to the feeder bowl through the line 24. After apartial vacuum has been created in the feeder bowl, above'the glasstherein, by the forward movement of the piston 34, it is necessary tobreak the vacuum. To. accomplish this it is only necessary to provide apassage 35 extending through the cylinder wall, so that when the piston34, in its forward movement, has passed the passage, the rear end of thecylinder Will be opened to communication with the atmosphere, thusbreaking the vacuum above the glass in the bowl i2. In the specificembodiment illustrated provision is made for varying the point at whichthe vacuum is broken. For this purpose, the cylinder wall is providedwith two additional passages 36 and 31 which are shown as closed byremovable plugs v33 and 31', and a, plug 33 having a passage 35 isremovably mounted in the passage 35. By the interchange of the plugs thevacuum can be broken when the piston 34 has passed any one of thepassages 35, 36 or 31. It will be understood, of course, that when thepiston 34 moves rearward it will close the open passage, and itscontinued rearward movement will force air through line 24 into the bowlI2 above the glass therein. A vacuum and pressure gage 4l may beprovided in the line 24, if desired.

'I'he forward end of the feeder cylinder 33 is provided with apassage4i, extending through the cylinder wall, so that the forward end of thecylinder is always in communication with the atmosphere, thus preventingthe creation of pressure or vacuum in that end of the cylinder.

For the purpose of regulating the degree of vacuum created in the rearend of the feeder cylinder and in the Vfeeder bowl, bythe forwardmovement of the piston v34, a short pipe section 42 leads from the rearend of the cylinder and communicates with the atmosphere. Adjacent thefree encl` of this pipe section an ordinary regulating valve :43 isprovided, and between this valve and the cylinder is a check valve 44,which permits the passage of air to the rear end of the cylinder 33, butprevents the exit ofair therefrom. Thus the volume of air admitted fromthe atmosphere to the rear end of cylinder 33, during the forwardmovement ofthe piston 34, is regulated by the mere adjustment of thehand valve 43, to thereby regulate the degree of vacuum created in thefeeder bowl.

For the purpose of regulating the positive pressure created in the rearend of the feeder cylinder and in the feeder bowl, by the rearwardmovement of the piston 34, a second short pipe section 45 also leadsfrom the rear end of the cylinder and communicates with the atmosphere.This pipe. section is also provided with an ordinary regulating valve 46and check valve 41, but in this instance the check valve permits theexit of air from the rear end of the cylinder. Whie pref venting theentrance of air thereto. Thus the volume of air passing from the rearend of the cylinder to the atmosphere, during the 'rearward movement ofthe piston 34, is regulated by the adjustment of the hand valve 4S, tocontrol the pressure developed in the feeder bowl.

In the operation, the shear cylinder 3l is periodically operated tosever the glass charges, in timed relation with a forming machine, byany desired type of timer. The forward movement of the shear cylinderpiston rod 23 closes the shears to sever a glass charge, which dropsinto a mold of a. glass forming machine, and the shears are immediatelyopened. is cut it is desirable `to lift theremaining stub oif theshears. 'I'his is accomplished by creating a partial vacuum in thefeeder bowl i2 above the glass therein. As, previously described, thepiston rod of the shear cylinder extends into they feeder cylinder 33and carries 'the feeder cylinder piston -34,`so that the shear cylinderpiston and the feeder cylinder piston always move together. 'Ihus whenthe shear cylinder piston moves forward to cause the severance of aglass charge, the feeder cylinder piston likewise moves forward andthereby withdraws air from the feeder bowl I2, through line in the bowl,whereby the remaining stub of glass is lifted from the'shears .when thecharge is severed. The degree of vacuum created is regulated by the handvalve 43, as previously described.

The forward movement of the piston 34 also breaks the vacuum, when thepiston passes the port 35, or other appropriately located port. therebypermitting theiiow of glass through the orifice i3 to be resumed.

The movement of the piston 34 in the rearward direction, as the shearsare opened, creates a positive pressure in the rear end of the cylinder33 and in the feeder bowl i 2, thereby forcing glass from the bowl andforming another. gob of glass to be severedby the next operation of theshears.

The degree of pressure isregulated by the hand valve 46; and by themanipulation ofv the hand valves 43 and 43 the positive and negativepressures can be accurately balanced, so that the glass will remain atthe bowl.

By the manipulation of they by-pass valves 3i' and 32' the speed atwhich the piston rod 2l travels forward may be. adjusted without.changing the speed at which it travels rearward, and vice versa. And bythe adjustment of the stationary plug 4 the volume fiow of glass to thefeeder bowl can be regulated.

The herein described feeder is extremely simple in construction andoperation, and as the glass feeding is controlled by the operation ofthe shears, it follows that the timing between the feeding and thesevering will always be correct.

It will also be noted ,that the feeder mechanism is arranged below theflow spout where it is easily accessible at all times, and can bereadily removed and replaced.

Having fully describe claim is:

l. A glass feeder including a flow spout, a rethe invention, what I Whenthe glass I 24, to create a partial vacuum desired level in the feedermeans for periodically forming glass charges bei neath said orifice.means for periodically severing the glass charges, and means causingsaid glass severing means to operate said glass forming means. i

3. A glass feeder including a receptacle having an orifice through whichglass is adapted to flow, means for periodically forming glass chargesbeneath said orice, shears for severing the glass charges, a fluid motorfor periodically operating said shears, and means causing said motor tocontrol the operation of said charge forming means.

4. A glass feeder including a receptacle having an orice through whichglass is adapted to flow;

means for periodically increasing and decreasing the pressure on theglassin the receptacle to form glass charges beneath the orice, shearsfor severing the glass charges, a fluid motor for periodically operatingthe shears, and means causing said motor to control the operation ofsaid means for increasing and decreasing the pressure on the glass inthe receptacle. f

5. A glass feeder including a receptacle having an orifice through whichglass is adapted to ow, said receptacle having an air space, shearsarranged beneath saidorifice. a cylinder and piston for operating 'saidshears, a second cylinder and piston, means causing the second piston tobe operated by the first piston, and a pipe communicating with the airspace of the receptacle and with the second mentioned cylinder.

6. A glass feeder including a receptacle having' an oriilce throughwhich glass is adapted to flow, said receptacle having an air space,shears arranged beneath said oriiice, a cylinder for operating theshears, a second cylinder and piston, the second cylinder communicatingwith said air space for periodically increasing and decreasing the airpressure therein, and means operatively connecting the pistons of thetwo cylinders.

7. A glass feeder including a receptacle having an orice through whichglass is adapted to flow, said receptacle having an air space, shearsarranged beneath said orifice, a cylinder and piston for operating saidshears, a second cylinder and piston. means causing the second piston tobe operated by the rst piston, a pipe communicating with the air spaceof the receptacle and with the second mentioned cylinder, whereby plusand minus pressures are alternately produced in the air space, and meansfor regulating the degree of plus pressure produced.

8. A glass feeder including a. receptacle having an orifice throughwhich glass is adapted to flow, said receptacle having an air space,shears arranged beneath said orice, a cylinder and piston for operatingsaid shears, a second cylinder and piston, means causing the secondpiston to be operated by the rst piston, a pipe communicating with theair space of the receptacle and with the second mentioned cylinder,whereby plus and minus pressures are alternately produced in the airspace, and means for regulating the degree of minus pressure produced.

JAMES W. Ross.

